personify

verb

per·son·i·fy | \ pər-ˈsä-nə-ˌfī

personified; personifying

Definition of personify

transitive verb

1 : to conceive of or represent as a person or as having human qualities or powers

2 : to be the embodiment or personification of : incarnate a teacher who personified patience

Other Words from personify Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about personify

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Examples of personify in a Sentence

The ancient Greeks personified the forces of nature as gods and goddesses. Justice is personified as a woman with her eyes covered.

Recent Examples on the Web

Because there’s something inherent to the human mind that desperately wants to personify everything. — Steven Brykman, Ars Technica, "Douglas Adams was right: “Genuine people personalities” are coming to our gadgets," 22 Dec. 2018 With the hood pulled up over his head and his hands tucked into his pockets, Justin kind of resembled a watercolor painting, personified. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Justin Bieber Wears Multicolored Tracksuit on a Date With Hailey Baldwin," 16 Sep. 2018 Aretha and Ariana, while personifying different eras and genres of music, formed a very friendly relationship while the Queen of Soul was still alive — which is more than likely why Ariana's been asked to lend her vocals for the occasion. — Devon Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Ariana Grande Will Perform at Aretha Franklin's Funeral," 29 Aug. 2018 The neighborhood personified the city’s rapidly changing geography after World War II. — Detroit Free Press, "He helped start 1967 Detroit riot, now his son struggles with the legacy," 15 May 2018 Or the Europeans, personified by the German settler Herr Muller who is afraid of the Indians? — Outlander Fan, Marie Claire, "5 Biggest Takeaways From 'Outlander' Season 4 Episode 5," 3 Dec. 2018 And that partner, Philipp Vossberg, is villainy personified. — John Anderson, WSJ, "‘Beat’ Review: Justice on the Dance Floor," 8 Nov. 2018 The bearded bikers in black leather knelt gently in the shrines and gazed up at images of Avalokiteshvara, a bodhisattva personifying infinite compassion and mercy. — Lawrence Osborne, Town & Country, "Why Everyone Is Traveling to Bhutan," 30 Mar. 2015 Dads, meanwhile, are easier to define, as simply harmless and corny — as basically dad jokes personified. — Bijan Stephen, The Verge, "Toward a taxonomy of men online," 14 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'personify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.